Iraq Says Chief Inspectors Will Return

Published 7:00 pm, Friday, January 31, 2003

The chief U.N. weapons inspectors will return to Baghdad on Feb. 8 for two days of talks with Iraqi officials to try to resolve ongoing disputes regarding the search for banned weapons of mass destruction, Iraqi officials said Saturday.

In a joint letter to the Iraqis Friday, the chief inspectors, Hans Blix of the U.N. Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission and Mohamed ElBaradei of the International Atomic Energy Agency proposed the dates for the visit.

The letter said, however, the two men would only be willing to make the trip once the Iraqis agreed to certain conditions and removed major obstacles that are preventing inspectors from conducting aspects of their work.

In Baghdad, Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz did not say if Iraq had made any concessions in return for the new visit.

On Thursday, just 10 days after Blix and ElBaradei ended two days of talks with Iraqi officials in Baghdad, the Iraqi government invited them back for further talks, in advance of another crucial report the inspectors will file Feb. 14 with the U.N. Security Council.

ElBaradei had cited two specific issues needing resolution: a dispute over allowing U-2 reconnaissance flights to aid the U.N. inspection effort and the refusal of Iraqi scientists and other weapons specialists to submit to private interviews with U.N. inspectors.

Ewen Buchanan, spokesman for the U.N. inspectors, said they were ready to meet with their Iraqi counterparts but that the Iraqis needed to clarify "the purpose of the visit," and "how to achieve prompt progress in the resolution of open disarmament issues."

In Baghdad, Aziz was asked about the chief inspectors suggestion that they meet with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein on any return visit.

"No, I don't think that's going to happen," Aziz said. "Mr. Blix has a certain mission, and that mission could be dealt with the experts who will talk to him about technical matters."

Blix and ElBaradei were in Baghdad in mid-January where they agreed with the Iraqis to a 10-point plan aimed at increasing cooperation with inspections, now in their third month.

But in reports to the Security Council on Jan. 27, Blix complained about Iraq's lack of substantive cooperation and suggested the Iraqis may still possess chemical and biological weapons.

ElBaradei's report in the nuclear area was more favorable. He told the council his teams had found no evidence that Iraq had revived its nuclear program.

Blix said Friday he is encouraged that Iraq wants to talk about "transparency," and if he has a chance to meet Saddam he'll tell him the situation is "dangerous" and he must provide evidence quickly about Iraq's weapons programs.

ElBaradei said it was "very important that … we meet at the highest level of the leadership, and hear from them a clear commitment."